Where does all that ‘official’ stuff come from? Legislative resolutions

Jeremy AlfordCapitol Correspondent

Published: Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11:09 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11:09 a.m.

BATON ROUGE — While they can be used to express the mood of the Legislature or boss around agencies, resolutions also provide comic relief from the session’s heavier issues.

For example, in keeping with the grand tradition of official state stuff, Sen. Rick Ward, D-Livonia, has a Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 designating the American Paint Horse as the official state horse of Louisiana.

From being depicted on the walls of 4th Century BC Egyptian tombs to their roles as war horses, Ward says paint horses have become known for their “aesthetic beauty, versatility and mild mannerism.”

In recent sessions, lawmakers have also debated the official state boudin capital, which is now in Scott, and the official state vessel, the pirogue.

Giving legislative pork a new meaning, Ward also has introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 to recognize the Smokin’ Oldies Cook-Off in West Baton Rouge Parish as an official barbecue championship.

Closer to home, Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, has already had the upper chamber approve his Senate Resolution 10 commending T. Baker Smith, headquartered in Houma, for its anniversary and a “century of solutions.”

Founded in 1913 in Terrebonne Parish, Chabert writes in his resolution that the company was a “pioneer in the developing oil and gas industry by staking out leases, mapping pipeline rights-of-way, managing permits and resolving numerous regulatory issues on behalf of some of the industry’s largest and most successful companies.”

According to the resolution, there are approximately 319,000 veterans living in Louisiana, which accounts for 10 percent of the state’s population.

For those wanting to keep a closer eye on their children, Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, has Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 requesting the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the feasibility of “requiring the consent of both parents of a child to track that child by GPS.”

It is rooted in issues of sole and joint custody, “since one parent may not want their child to be tracked,” the resolution states.

Showing that resolutions can likewise take on hefty policy issues, Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, who represents portions of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, is pushing House Concurrent Resolution 40 memorializing Congress to reconsider certain Social Security regulations.

He wants federal lawmakers to repeal the Government Pension Offset, or GPO, which reduces spousal and survivor Social Security benefits, and the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, which reduces the earned Social Security benefits for any person who also receives a public pension benefit.

Harrison also has House Concurrent Resolution 2, which would force the state to hold off on implementing its new cash balance retirement plan until some lingering questions can be answered in full.

Created in the mold of a 401(k), the cash balance plan is supposed to protect employees against market downturns and transition some new hires away from the traditional defined benefit plan.

It is supposed to take effect July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year.

The proposal has ties to Harrison’s other resolution.

Harrison’s HCR 2 would suspend the cash balance plan until July 1, 2014, or until the Internal Revenue Service declares that it is “a benefit equivalent to Social Security” and that it would not “impact the tax-qualified status of the existing state retirement plans.”

A district court judge ruled in January that the cash balance plan did not receive enough votes for passage during last year’s regular session, a decision the state is appealing — and a matter Harrison’s resolution addresses as well.

Finally, there is Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 by Sen. Jody Amedee, R-Gonzales, which seeks to affect the way the heart of state government looks by creating the State Capitol Complex Task Force.

It would be charged with making recommendations for the buildings downtown, traffic congestion and Capitol Lake.

<p>BATON ROUGE — While they can be used to express the mood of the Legislature or boss around agencies, resolutions also provide comic relief from the session's heavier issues. </p><p>For example, in keeping with the grand tradition of official state stuff, Sen. Rick Ward, D-Livonia, has a Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 designating the American Paint Horse as the official state horse of Louisiana. </p><p>From being depicted on the walls of 4th Century BC Egyptian tombs to their roles as war horses, Ward says paint horses have become known for their “aesthetic beauty, versatility and mild mannerism.”</p><p>In recent sessions, lawmakers have also debated the official state boudin capital, which is now in Scott, and the official state vessel, the pirogue. </p><p>Giving legislative pork a new meaning, Ward also has introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 to recognize the Smokin' Oldies Cook-Off in West Baton Rouge Parish as an official barbecue championship.</p><p>Closer to home, Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, has already had the upper chamber approve his Senate Resolution 10 commending T. Baker Smith, headquartered in Houma, for its anniversary and a “century of solutions.”</p><p>Founded in 1913 in Terrebonne Parish, Chabert writes in his resolution that the company was a “pioneer in the developing oil and gas industry by staking out leases, mapping pipeline rights-of-way, managing permits and resolving numerous regulatory issues on behalf of some of the industry's largest and most successful companies.” </p><p>With Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, is encouraging the Louisiana Lottery Corporation to create new lotto tickets to benefit soldiers and veterans. </p><p>According to the resolution, there are approximately 319,000 veterans living in Louisiana, which accounts for 10 percent of the state's population.</p><p>For those wanting to keep a closer eye on their children, Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, has Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 requesting the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the feasibility of “requiring the consent of both parents of a child to track that child by GPS.” </p><p>It is rooted in issues of sole and joint custody, “since one parent may not want their child to be tracked,” the resolution states.</p><p>Showing that resolutions can likewise take on hefty policy issues, Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, who represents portions of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, is pushing House Concurrent Resolution 40 memorializing Congress to reconsider certain Social Security regulations. </p><p>He wants federal lawmakers to repeal the Government Pension Offset, or GPO, which reduces spousal and survivor Social Security benefits, and the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, which reduces the earned Social Security benefits for any person who also receives a public pension benefit.</p><p>Harrison also has House Concurrent Resolution 2, which would force the state to hold off on implementing its new cash balance retirement plan until some lingering questions can be answered in full. </p><p>Created in the mold of a 401(k), the cash balance plan is supposed to protect employees against market downturns and transition some new hires away from the traditional defined benefit plan.</p><p>It is supposed to take effect July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year.</p><p>The proposal has ties to Harrison's other resolution.</p><p>Harrison's HCR 2 would suspend the cash balance plan until July 1, 2014, or until the Internal Revenue Service declares that it is “a benefit equivalent to Social Security” and that it would not “impact the tax-qualified status of the existing state retirement plans.”</p><p>A district court judge ruled in January that the cash balance plan did not receive enough votes for passage during last year's regular session, a decision the state is appealing — and a matter Harrison's resolution addresses as well.</p><p>Finally, there is Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 by Sen. Jody Amedee, R-Gonzales, which seeks to affect the way the heart of state government looks by creating the State Capitol Complex Task Force. </p><p>It would be charged with making recommendations for the buildings downtown, traffic congestion and Capitol Lake.</p><p>Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com</p>